ESELS pre-conference workshops
Systematic case-law analysis
Case law analysis is part and parcel of the traditional toolbox of legal practitioners and scholars. However, digitalisation of case law collections, databases and repositories has proven itself to be fertile ground for the development of new approaches to this type of legal analysis. Software, AI tools and other computer-assisted data science techniques now enable scholars to collect and study large numbers of judicial decisions and systematically analyze their content while using a wide variety of methods. This creates a distinct from to legal empiricism, which comes natural to lawyers.
In this session, we will work to practice the fundamentals of systematic case law analysis, reviewing research designs, objectives and methods. In particular, we will practice approaches to qualitative content analysis, looking at case selection, coding scheme development, and coding reliability. Reading materials will be provided online and no specific data analysis software is required to participate. We welcome applications for this workshop from academics at any stage of career.
Invited instructor: prof. dr. Paul Verbruggen, Full Professor at Tilburg University, the Netherlands.
Date: 18 June 2025, 14:00 – 17.00
Location: Université Toulouse Capitole
Registration fee: 50 euros.
Please notify in advance when not coming, so others can register
ESELS pre-conference workshops
Interviews for Empirical Legal Research
Do you want to know more about conducting scientific interviews as part of your legal research? Think about the basics of how to set up, conduct, analyze, code and report your interviews, as well as ethical considerations to consider when interviewing.
And do you want to know more about theoretical perspectives behind interviewing as an empirical method? And also obtain more practical experience in interviewing and interview techniques yourself?
Then register for our two-hour hands-on, interactive pre-conference workshop on how to conduct scientific interviews for legal scholars.
In this crash course we’ll offer practical information about how to interview, good practices and pitfalls, and there will be several opportunities to interactively practice your interview skills with fellow participants.
Date: Wednesday 18 June 2025, 14:00-17:00
Location: Université Toulouse Capitole (details follow)
Level: All levels (beginner – advanced)
Instructors: Erik Wesselius & Kyra Wigard
Max. registrations: 24 (full is full)
Registration fee: free of charge
Please notify in advance when not coming, so others can register
ESELS pre-conference workshops
Large Language Models for Empirical Legal Research
Large Language Models (LLMs) have become increasingly relevant in empirical legal research, providing new opportunities for summarizing legal texts, analyzing arguments, and classifying data. This workshop offers an introduction to the foundations of LLMs, including tokens, word vectors, and transformers, as well as advanced prompting techniques such as Chain of Thought reasoning, zero-/few-shot prompting, and prompt chaining.
In addition to exploring these applications, we will critically examine key challenges, including the risks of hallucinations, inherent biases in model training, and difficulties in tailoring LLMs to domain-specific legal contexts. An optional part will address API usage for practical implementation.
The workshop aims to equip participants with the tools to apply LLMs effectively in empirical legal research while fostering a critical understanding of their limitations.
Date: Wednesday 18 June 2025, 14:00-17:00
Location: Université Toulouse Capitole (details follow)
Level: All levels (beginner – advanced)
Instructors: Tilmann Altwicker & Ephraim Seidenberg
Max. registrations: 24 (full is full)
Registration fee: free of charge
Please notify in advance when not coming, so others can register